ArticlesDraft NHI Bill to be Released Soon

The release of the Draft Medical Schemes Amendment Bill and the Draft National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill is imminent.

The health minister, Aaron Motsoaledi, announced during his department’s budget vote speech in the national council of provinces.

Cabinet approved the NHI bill at the beginning of June 2018 while the Draft Medical Schemes Amendment Bill was approved at the end of May 2018.

According to the minister, South African citizens need “good quality equitable health care” in order to reach their full potential.

The way to achieve this is “equitable and fair financing of Health”

The minister emphasized that the introduction of NHI will require a “substantial policy shift.”

“It will necessitate a massive reorganisation of the whole healthcare system, both public and private and completely change the relationship between our spheres of Government, but also change the relationship between the rich and the poor.”

12 acts have been identified that will require amendments in order to accommodate NHI.

The minister called on members of parliament to focus on four issues that he described as destabilisers of the health care system, namely, human resources, financial management, procurement and supply chain management and maintenance of infrastructure and equipment.